Veni, Veni, Libertas
by Eledhiel
Summary: Hogwarts means freedom for Sirius Black...freedom from his family, at any rate. But will his new house be any different? Sorting fic, and COMPLETE!
1. Freedom

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or any place…all JKR's…not doing this for money…et cetera, et cetera. If you sue me, you might get a pencil with orange music notes on it…very valuable. Please don't. I like my pencil.

A new note: This is the edited version of the chapter. There were a few things that needed rewording (and respelling), so I fixed. Hope you still enjoy. Chapter 2 coming soon. No, really. Stop laughing.

* * *

No matter how tightly he pulled the curtains together the night before, the sun would always find a way to blast him full in the eyes every morning. Grumbling, Sirius Black solved the problem by turning over and burying his head under the pillow.

Privately, he suspected the evil prat he had the misfortune to call his brother. Regulus was always an early riser—leave it to him to find blinding his elder every morning entertaining.

Suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, his blanket was ripped off of him. In the next second, a cold hand gripped his ankle and dragged him off of the bed.

"Ow!" he protested as he hit the floor. "What the—Bella!"

Bellatrix Black stood over him, glowering down with her beautiful dark eyes. "Get up, twerp."

"Why?" Sirius glared right back, trying to snatch his blanket back. She tossed it into the hallway. "Because you're coming with me. Now, up—_before_ I hex you."

Muttering a few choice words under his breath, he kicked her out of his room and barricaded the door. He dressed slowly, distracting his foul thoughts by pulling the crinkled envelope out from under his pillow. He took out the acceptance letter again, reading it over and reliving the joy. _Finally_, he thought, _I can get out of here and—_

"Sirius!" He froze, his mother's voice still echoing in the stairwell. "Get down here at once!"

Sirius stuffed the letter back into the envelope and slid it into his jacket. He carefully reopened his door and slid down the banister, coming to a halt in the hallway at his mother's feet.

"Yes, mother?" he asked as civilly as he could manage, straightening and glaring back at Bella, who was leaning impatiently against the wall.

"It is time for you to gather your school supplies." Sirius felt a flare of hope; maybe _now_ he could convince her to let him go alone! "As you know, your father and I simply cannot spare the time, so I have asked your cousin Bellatrix to allow you to accompany her."

Sirius stared at his mother. "Can't I just go alo—"

"No, my boy," Mrs. Black interrupted smoothly. "You are still young, and must be protected." Her black eyes were hard, but she used her motherly voice. Sirius felt his ire rise—Bella wouldn't protect him. She was more in the market of terrorizing him.

"But—"

"And you'll give her no trouble, or I shall have to be angry with you. Do you understand?" Sirius felt his blood run cold at her words. He felt the familiar urge to get out of the house, so he nodded quickly. "Good. Thank you again, Bellatrix."

"It's no trouble, Aunt, I assure you," she smiled, gliding smoothly out the door. Sirius followed her quickly, getting away from his mother as quickly as possible. He stayed a couple steps behind his cousin until she reached back and dragged him up by his jacket collar.

"Walk with me, Sirius. Pretend you like me," Bella smirked.

"That would take far too much effort," Sirius snapped back, sidestepping her backhand swing. He threw his arm up and grabbed her wrist, feeling the urge to twist her arm—but she caught him across the cheek lightly with her other hand and moved close to his ear.

"Now, now. You wouldn't want me to have to tell your mother you misbehaved, would you?" she crooned softly. Sirius released her immediately, stepping away and putting his back to her so she wouldn't see his expression.

Bella kept walking, humming softly to herself. Sirius couldn't bring himself to look at her face, see her smug expression, see the superiority in her eyes. He quickened his pace until he was far ahead of her, an idea forming in his mind.

She caught up with him outside the Leaky Cauldron, an expression of supreme distaste on her face. "Let's get your stupid things quickly, and get out of that Alley," she whispered in his ear, but he brushed her off. He moved ahead of her into the pub, trying to lose her in the crowd.

Unfortunately, the crowd parted for them, allowing her an easy time of keeping up with him. Sirius inwardly cursed his family and their blasted reputation, and decided he had to wait for Diagon Alley to lose her.

They made it out to the back and into the Alley with no problem. Sirius felt the colorful and cheerful atmosphere of the street wash over him—he almost forgot Bella was with him until she dragged him into the Alley, radiating hostility.

The trip went too quickly for Sirius. Bella dragged him from shop to shop, purchasing item after item and thrusting it into his arms. Finally, they'd collected his entire list, and she turned to give him an expectant glare.

He rolled his eyes and moved to the side of the street, then commanded in a sharp voice—"Kreacher!"

With a crack, the house-elf appeared in front of him. "Yes, Young Master?" he sneered with a low bow. Bellatrix smirked.

"Take these back to the house," Sirius commanded grumpily, shoving the packages into his arms. Kreacher took the burdens, bowed low to Bella, and disappeared with another sharp crack.

"Lazy," Bella murmured, latching onto his sleeve and dragging him towards the Alley crossroads.

"Where are you going?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Where are _we_ going, you mean. Knockturn Alley, there's some things I need to pick up—" Sirius stopped. "Come on, you think we're here just for you?"

She gave a particularly hard yank and dragged him towards the Dark Alley. The idea blossomed further in his mind, so he obediently followed her down, letting her think she'd won. She walked confidently, falling back into her normal arrogant stride as they moved into the other Alley. Sirius began slowing his pace, keeping it steady and even. With luck, she wouldn't notice it until—there!

He ducked aside into a nearby shop when he was far enough behind her. He risked a glance out the window; she'd never even looked back.

Feeling happiness wash over him, Sirius darted back into the Alley a moment later and made for the exit. If he could get back to Diagon Alley, he could be free for a little while—

"Hello, there, young man." A thin, cold hand grasped his shoulder as a dirty looking woman pulled him aside. "Would you be interested in my nice little collection of—"

"No, thank you, ma'am," Sirius muttered quickly, writhing out of her grasp and practically running for the mouth of the Alley. He slipped between two men coming in and dashed out into the open. Freedom!

Sirius slowed his pace as he walked down Diagon Alley, taking his time to look into the shops and enjoy the clean feeling of the street. Anything to be out of the stifling air of Knockturn Alley.

He came to a stop in front of the windows of his favorite shop, apart from the joke shop, of course. Quality Quidditch Supplies…he stood in front of the window for what felt like hours, savoring the sight of the newest broom on the market.

Finally, he turned to actually go into the shop—and collided head on with another boy. Both of them ended up on the pavement. Sirius shook his head and sat up, glancing at the other boy.

He was sprawled on the pavement, giving no more than a self-pitying moan to show he was still alive. Sirius wasn't sure what to say, but settled for leaning over him and shaking his shoulder.

"Are you ok?" The boy opened his eyes slowly and blinked, then shook his head.

"Yeah," he replied, sitting up quickly and throwing out his arm. He began feeling around on the ground in a peculiar manner. "Bloody…"

"What are you…doing?" Sirius asked slowly, watching the boy's hands creep across the pavement.

"Looking for my glasses," the other replied, his manner distracted. He started to get to his knees and widen his sweep, but Sirius noticed a pair of round, silver-rimmed glasses lying on the walk a few feet from them and snatched them up. He pressed them into the boy's hands.

"Are these them?"

"Yeah, thanks," the boy replied, slipping his glasses onto his face. He reached out to shake Sirius's hand. "James Potter."

"Hello," Sirius replied simply, not wanting to disclose his name. But James was looking at him expectantly, so Sirius fumbled for an answer. "My name's Sirius," he replied lamely. James looked at him strangely for a moment, but smirked and seemed to accept the answer.

"Cool," was his only remark. He glanced at the shop. "You going in?"

"Yeah, I was going to." Sirius glanced at the shop window again, taking a moment to admire the broom again. When he glanced back at James, the other boy was doing the same, but with an expression of nearly worship.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" James murmured. Sirius smiled.

"Come on, let's go in."

More than an hour later, the two boys finally dragged each other out of the shop, each making a dramatic show of self-denial. They'd almost gotten to the wailing part of their act when a sharp voice rang out from behind them.

"Sirius Black!"

Sirius froze, and felt James stiffen beside him. He risked a glance at his new friend as he turned around; James was staring at him as if seeing him for the first time. Sirius thought he saw him mouth the word 'Black' to himself and felt his heart drop through his stomach.

When he finally turned all the way, he wanted to punch Bella in the mouth.

His cousin was stalking up to stand in front of him, glaring at him with her full Bellatrix Black glare. He didn't back down, his anger rising with each heartbeat. He hadn't wanted James to know what family he came from, not when he was becoming such a good friend.

He felt movement beside him; James had taken a step back. He stood silently at the edge of the walk, watching the exchange.

"Sirius Black, I told you to come with me!"

"I didn't want to go down there—you're not my keeper!"

"I am for today! You're going to listen to me or—"

"Or what?" Sirius sneered, giving her his full glare of death. She didn't respond, but reached out and grasped his upper arm almost hard enough to break it.

"Come on. We're going home." She jerked him forward, dragging him along with her out of the Alley. Sirius threw a glance over his shoulder and saw James still standing there, his face carefully blank.

"Bella, let me go—"

"Shut up," she said coldly into his ear as she pulled him out of the Alley. He struggled, nearly breaking free of her grasp until she smacked him hard across the face. "And you can be sure your mother will hear of this."

The comment froze his blood; he stopped fighting. He would only make his case worse, if she didn't kill him already. He allowed Bella to drag him all the way home, drawing at least a little satisfaction from her furious expression.

Bella threw open the front door, pushing him hard against the wall as she stormed into the house. Sirius remained where he was, standing perfectly still. He listened to Bellatrix storm up the grand staircase, heard the door to the parlor slam. He closed his eyes, drawing in deep breaths and trying to get his heartbeat back under control.

An eternity later, the parlor door opened and footsteps began to descend the stairs. Sirius lost his battle for control as his heart leapt into his mouth, his breathing ragged and shallow. But it was only Regulus.

His younger brother came into view and caught sight of Sirius. The boy's face was unreadable for a moment, then a sneering smirk spread across it. Sirius tried to glare back, but couldn't spare the energy. He was still trying to will his heart to stop.

Then it opened. The parlor door creaked in the peculiar manner that indicated careful deliberation. Two sets of footsteps began echoing down the staircase. The first was heavy and quick—he recognized it as Bella's. The second was light, careful, and menacing. His whole body ached with dread.

Bella came into view first. The cold smile on her face barely registered in his mind. He didn't have time to consider her. He needed the precious moments to panic.

Then came his mother. She descended the last few steps calmly, as if nothing was wrong. Her face was impassive; her eyes were piercing and blank. She held out her hand to him, letting a small but sad smile grace her thin lips. She donned an expression of motherly concern, as if saddened she must punish a favorite child. Sirius knew better.

He didn't see Bellatrix's gleeful expression. He didn't see Regulus glance at his feet for a second before slipping quickly out of the hall. All he saw were the hand—and the eyes.

He couldn't resist them. Slowly, unwillingly, his feet moved from under him. His body drew him closer until he stood before her, his mind was paralyzed with fear.

She laid her hand on his shoulder gently. Turning, she began leading him up the stairs. He followed, dread leadening his footsteps. She drew him to the parlor, ushered him through the door. She made a show of sadly picking up her wand from the hall table, but Sirius could see the cold malice glittering through the false concern.

"We're going to have a little talk, Sirius," she said slowly, honeying her words. He knew what she meant. She was going to make him pay for his little trick.

She used to tell him, 'just a little prick here' or 'a mild sting there', all in the name of discipline. But by now, she'd given that up. He knew she wasn't above using any spell she knew—someday, she might even use an Unforgivable. So now, she just called their disciplinary sessions 'talks'.

She closed the door softly behind her and placed a silencing charm around the room. "Now, Sirius—" she pointed her wand at his heart, "—let us begin."


	2. Loyalties

Uhm…same as before…none of them are mine, though I dearly wish Sirius was. And thanks to my wonderful reviewers! You guys deserve front row seats at the Quidditch World Cup this year…I'll see what I can do.

Note: Yeah, this is another repost. I know, I know! My beta was swamped and sent me the revisions literally seconds after I posted…whoops. I'm an impatient procrastinator, what can I say…

* * *

Sirius slammed the door to his room, trembling all over. He collapsed limply on his bed, his breathing still ragged. He was totally worn out. And this had been a _lighter_ session. His mother was still angry with him, but he knew she didn't want to do anything that would cause long-term effects. Once again, Sirius was grateful to be going away to school.

Trying to shut the recent lesson from his mind, he turned his attention to the school supplies Kreacher had brought to his room. Grinning, he heaved himself off the bed and dropped next to his brand new trunk.

He began packing his clothes, slowly, reminding himself with each folded shirt and pair of trousers that the next time he picked them up, he'd be far away from home. He packed his books with the same feeling, and finally closed the full trunk feeling much better than he had when he started.

Sitting back, Sirius absently rubbed his head, trying to chase out the ache. He hissed when his fingers touched a particularly painful spot near the back. He slowly lowered his hand, cheerful thoughts chased away again. Sighing, Sirius staggered to his feet and walked towards his bedside table.

He picked up the glass of water he'd brought up earlier and took a long sip. Eyes wandering, he caught his reflection in the window before him. Night had fallen, making the window a black piece of glass—practically a mirror. He raised his fingers to touch a light bruise on his chin.

It would be gone in the morning, he knew. But the fact that he'd made his mother mad enough to hit him, physically, bothered him. He decided it would be best to lie low for the next week until September first.

His thoughts traveled back to the afternoon without his consent. He felt a shadow of the fear rush through him, angering him. He wanted to throw the glass at the wall, smash it, release his fury on it while he couldn't where it should be directed. But then, she'd be angry at him for ruining a perfectly good glass, so he put it down gently.

He rubbed at his head again, carefully avoiding the painful spot. He remembered falling, hit by a particularly sharp curse, clipping his head against a table edge. She'd stopped, waited for him to gain his feet again, then hit him again, not waiting for his balance to return.

He'd caught himself on the table this time, head spinning, anger coursing through him. He'd lost control long enough to strike out at her, but he hadn't expected to make contact. A brief flash of light had come, not from his mother's wand, but from the air around her. He'd fallen back, stunned. But it hadn't been another curse; he'd broken the thin shield she kept in place around herself during these sessions, to keep him from harming her.

Now, he'd broken it! She'd been startled, fury blazing in her eyes—then struck him, hard across the face. It was the first time Sirius ever remembered her touching him during their lessons.

He wasn't sure if he should feel proud or terrified, but settled for the first. If he was strong enough to break even a thin shield now, imagine what he could do once he learned enough magic!

A wave of dizziness struck him, jerking him from his memories. He grasped the table to stay upright, then decided it was probably a lost cause. He tumbled into bed, leaned over the edge and picked up a shoe. Aiming, he threw it at the wall and hit the light switch.

Smirking, he closed his eyes and let his exhaustion take him.

* * *

She was still angry with him on September first. Sirius studiously avoided her all morning, going over his trunk three times to make sure everything was in order. He couldn't quell the butterflies in his stomach and skipped breakfast; his excitement would not be contained.

Suddenly, the door burst open and nearly gave him a heart attack. Sirius spun around, right hand already clenched into a fist just in case. But Regulus had learned, and was now standing deep enough in the hall as to not present a ready target. "Mother says to come down," he reported, giving his brother a good-bye glare before darting further down the hall to his own room.

"Thank you oh so much," Sirius grumbled, picking up his trunk and hauling it towards the grand staircase. He made it down in one piece, if a little precariously. He lugged his trunk past Bellatrix, who was finishing up the bindings on hers, and out the door.

The journey to the platform was, fortunately, uneventful. Mrs. Black kept a very subtle eye on Sirius, but said nothing to him nor even appeared to look at him. Sirius knew she was watching him, but tried not to let it bother him. Once they arrived at the platform, Sirius glanced around and took in the huge crowd of people–not to mention the giant red Hogwarts Express. He easily blocked the sound of his mother's displeased mutterings by listening intently to the groups of people they passed. He heard everything from groups of older students discussing their upcoming classes to families wishing their children a good year.

Sirius felt a surge of excitement flow through him. He turned this way and that, watching the different groups move past his family. He turned around once quick enough to smack straight into Bella, but she let him go with a requited smack. Mrs. Black broke up the would-be fight with a sharp glare, which even Bella knew to obey. Sirius squirmed unable to stand the overwhelming sense of just…_waiting_.

Mrs. Black said nothing, letting her husband pull Bella and Sirius in front of him and give them a do-well-this-year-make-us-proud speech. Sirius squashed his fidgeting with effort and stood silently, willing himself to ignore his mother's piercing eyes. Finally, before he could even believe it, Sirius was dragging his trunk onto the train and into a compartment.

Bella dropped her trunk on the luggage rack, 'accidentally' bumping into Sirius as he tried to hoist his own. He let it go with a glare, still trying to shoulder the heavy trunk. He then followed her to the window to bid a final farewell to his parents, silently wishing them good riddance at the same time.

At 11 o'clock exactly, the train gave a piercing whistle and a great lurch, rumbling forward. The only thing that kept Sirius in his seat was the fact that the compartment was packed; a few other third year girls were talking and laughing with Bellatrix, confining him to his corner by the window.

Sirius did his best to ignore them, but every once in awhile a word would leak into his awareness. He tried to concentrate on his Quidditch magazine—_"stupid mudbloods"_—and the newest trick—_"far better than them"_—that was a big a rage as the newest broom—_"don't even deserve to come"_—but it was little use.

Finally, the last straw came unexpectedly. The compartment door slid open and revealed a small boy, glaring through dark eyes. "Is Armenia Prince here—oh," he began, but stopped when his eyes fell on her. "I just wanted to ask you about the book—"

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it for you," the girl opposite Sirius spoke up. "I'll give it to you later." She coldly dismissed him with her tone.

"I wanted to read it—" the boy began, but Armenia cut him off.

"I said I'd give it to you _later_, Severus," she snapped. "You can wait."

"Get lost, Snape." Bella favored him with a careless and icy glance. "Obviously, your cousin doesn't want you around. Go back to your muddy friends, you don't belong here—"

"Shut _up_, Bella," Sirius snapped suddenly. Bella whipped her head around to stare at him for a moment before she regained control.

"What did you say?" Suddenly, everyone was staring at him. Sirius felt the anger that had built up over the past hours bubble over the edge.

"What do you think I said? Can't you keep your bigoted opinions to yourself for once?" He felt a little freer once the words were out. Seeing Bella ready for a fight, he shoved his magazine into his bag and rose to meet her.

Before they could start their fight, Snape intervened. "I don't need your help, Black," he spat, slamming the compartment door with a black look. Sirius barely spared a glance at the door, returning to face his cousin.

"What were you doing!" Bella's dark eyes were flashing as she came face to face with Sirius. "'Bigoted'? Is that what you call our family's glorious ideals--?"

"I am _sick_ of our stupid ideals! They're wrong, I don't believe them." He matched Bella eye for eye. "I'm not going to stand for them anymore." Sirius drew in a breath, letting triumph move through his chest at her furious expression.

"You can't just throw off our family like that, Sirius! You're part of it whether you like it or not. You may think you can just pitch our pure traditions out the window and walk away, but you can't! You're a Black—you just wait until you get into _our_ house. That'll straighten you out," Bella smirked. She leaned back with a cold gleam in her eyes, as if she could see the victory leak out of him. She folded her arms and silently dared him to deny it.

Sirius didn't know what to say, so he let his anger direct his course and threw a punch at her gloating face. Bella half blocked it, swinging her own fist in around the side. He ducked, tripping her as he so, swung upwards—but something stopped him. He was being pulled over from behind and hit the floor, hard. He clipped the back of his head on the seat, but the thick cushion caused no damage. Sirius scrambled out of Armenia's grasp and lunged forward to face Bella again; she was on her feet waiting for him—

"Stop it, someone's coming!" one of the other girls shrieked. Sirius glanced over Bella's shoulder, hearing the footsteps for the first time as the compartment door slid open.

"Is everything alright here?" a tall boy wearing a prefect badge asked.

"Yes, of course," Bella replied icily. "Everything's fine." The prefect gave her a measuring look, glanced around the compartment, then slid the door shut. Bella rounded on Sirius the moment the latch clicked.

"Get out!" she hissed, grabbing the front of his robes and pulling. Sirius, who was only too happy to oblige her, practically dove into the corridor, smirking as the door slammed behind him. He straightened slowly, taking in his bearings, and then began to walk. He didn't care what direction his feet took him. He let his thoughts pour through him in an angry stream, trying to cool off before he found a place to sit out the rest of the ride.

Finally, he stopped in front of an empty compartment. He slipped into it, shutting the door quickly behind him and dropping onto one of the seats. Sirius relaxed, grinning to himself and then jumped as a sharp clanging echoed in the hall. Sirius absently realized it must be the refreshment cart—trains always had those, right?—and that he'd just missed it. He sighed, unable to decide if that was a good thing or not. He was starving, but wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep any food down.

He'd been thinking about the Sorting ever since he'd received the letter, but never before had nervousness plagued him as badly as it did now. Bella's words hadn't helped. His family was bad enough; what would he do in a whole house of people like them? Every one he'd talked to had told him houses tended to run in families, so he had no reason to even hope of getting out of Slytherin. Depression was hanging onto the edges of his thoughts the more clearly he considered this.

School houses had been a favorite topic between himself and his younger cousin Andromeda. They'd spent hours fantasizing about what the other houses were like, what they'd do if, by some miracle, they were placed there—the train jolted and a heavy noise near the ceiling drew Sirius's attention.

Someone's trunk was on the luggage rack. The name tag faced away from him, but he had barely entertained the thought of turning it around to see whose it was when the compartment door slid open.

James Potter stood in the doorway, his arms full of sweets. "Oh—hello," he said, eyeing Sirius warily.

"Hello," Sirius replied politely, unsure of where he stood with this boy. "Let me help you."

"Thanks," James replied, letting Sirius take some of the sweets from him and put them on the seat. "Missed the cart. I had to run after her," James explained, sitting carefully across from the other boy. Sirius nodded; James was watching him like he was a dangerous animal.

"Sorry for coming in, I didn't know anyone was in here," Sirius said after a long pause.

"No, it's fine," James returned, but his voice and eyes betrayed his real feelings. James was obviously uncomfortable around him, and Sirius understood perfectly. But staying here was better than returning to Bellatrix's compartment.

"So," Sirius began after a few moments. That was as far as he got.

James seemed to take the word as encouragement, blurting out, "Who was that girl you were arguing with, in Diagon Alley?"

Sirius made a face. "My cousin, Bellatrix."

"Don't like her?" James smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Sirius got the impression he was starting to be interrogated.

"Not at all. She's too much like the rest of my family."

"But you're not." It wasn't a question; James seemed halfway between stating it as an observation and convincing himself of it. Sirius mutely shook his head. "I've…I've heard a lot about your family," James started again, awkwardly. Sirius opted for continuing his silence, waiting James out. "They sound practically ev—...interesting." Sirius let a small grin slip across his face.

"I'd rather take your first assumption." James gave a tiny smile back, then reached up and adjusted his glasses for something to do. Sirius noted his nervousness and added it to his own, feeling a compelling need to reassure the other boy. So he decided to start up a good conversation; he asked James about the most recent England versus Ireland Quidditch game.

Two hours and lots of sweets later, the boys were still talking animatedly about their favorite sport when the compartment door slid open.

"Oh, so sorry," an unpleasant boy sneered and started to close the door when he caught sight of Sirius. A flurry of emotions barely flitted across his face—anger, embarrassment, and something Sirius couldn't quite make out. He stopped, glancing back at James, then smirked back at Sirius. "Making friends with the enemy, what are you thinking, Black?"

"Shut up and get out, Snape," Sirius snarled back. He was still angry and irritated at the other boy. "I wasn't defending you."

"I don't want you to. Don't think you'll get away with any of this, just wait till we get to Hogwarts," Severus Snape hissed, coming forward into the compartment, but James stood up and took out his wand.

"Out," James snapped briskly, projecting an air of extreme distaste. Snape raised himself up pulling his own wand out of his patched robes, but Sirius rose and stood elbow to elbow with James. Together, they towered over the other boy.

Snape considered his odds for a moment before backing out of the compartment. "Just wait for tonight, Black. You won't survive it, you traitor," Snape spat, slamming the door in their faces. James and Sirius glanced at each other, then began laughing.

After they regained their breath, James looked curiously at Sirius. "What was that all about, and who was that?"

"Severus Snape," Sirius replied, sticking his tongue out as he said it. "I've met him a couple times before, but Mother never knew that. One of his cousins was Regulus's old friend; I was supposed to be watching him when they played together, but usually ended up fighting with Snape." James snickered.

"Don't blame you in the least. Very slimy, that bloke." Sirius laughed, but James turned sober. "How come you're not surviving tonight? And…what was that about _defending_ him?"

Sirius stopped laughing abruptly, reminded again of the impending Sorting Ceremony. "Well," he began, choosing his words carefully, "all I did was yell at Bella today about how stupid our family is. And…my house probably won't be too happy with me for being too friendly, or having the wrong ideas about blood and stuff. You know," he finished lamely, feeling a bit sick again at the thought of the next seven years in that house.

"No, I don't. What makes you think you'll end up in Slytherin?" James asked, open-faced. "You don't seem like a proper candidate for that house, if you ask me."

"My entire family has been in Slytherin," Sirius replied sullenly, feeling depression return. "From what I've heard, I don't think I'll be able to escape." James was silent, staring at Sirius with that masked look again. Sirius finally met his eyes. "Where do you think you'll go?"

"Gryffindor, if we're going by family traditions," James said slowly. "And I want to be there, too."

"Lucky you," Sirius mumbled. It was just beginning to sink in to the two boys that in a few hours' time, they'd probably be sworn enemies for real.

"I guess," James said, looking Sirius over with a penetrating eye. "I'm sorry," he said honestly after a moment. Sirius looked up at him, letting a smile tug the corner of his mouth.

"Thanks," he returned. The boys were cut off from any further conversation as the train pulled to a stop. "Well, here goes," Sirius murmured, standing. James nodded to him, the unreadable expression back on his face, and followed Sirius out onto the platform.

They stayed close to each other anyway, despite the dark looks they received from other students either already in Slytherin or desperate to be. Suddenly, Sirius caught sight of Bellatrix storming through the crowd towards them—Sirius grabbed James's arm and plunged into the crowd.

James followed him, protesting only a little. Sirius brought them to a halt when he slammed face first into a huge man.

"Oy, yeh alrigh' there?" the man asked, looking down at him through squinting black eye.

"Yes, sir," Sirius replied formally, instinctively. "I'm very sorry—"

"S'alrigh', are yeh firs' years?" Sirius nodded, felt James doing the same behind him. "Then stay close to me." Sirius and James barely had time to glance and each other and start chortling again before the giant man started bellowing, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

Once the giant man had collected a large crowd of first years, he led them down a gravely path and around a few bends. Sirius couldn't make out what was on either side of the path, but didn't give it much thought. He was more interested in the magnificent sight that came into view around a few bends.

A magnificent castle perched on a hillside, just across a dark lake. The giant man led the students down to the edge of the lake, where a fleet of tiny boats awaited them. The man got into one boat, yelling, "Four to a boat, only four!"

Sirius and James were some of the first into the boats. They were followed into theirs by a small girl and a bored looking boy.

James leaned over to whisper into Sirius's ear as the boats started off across the lake. "Where's Bella? Did we lose her?"

"For now," Sirius replied quietly. "She's a third year. I doubt you'll see her again."

"My heart breaks at the very thought," James murmured dramatically.

"I'll give her a love punch for you, if you like," Sirius grinned. James dipped his arm over the side, bringing it back and flicking water at Sirius.

"Please, do," he laughed. Sirius cupped his hands and dipped them into the lake, bringing up a good amount to toss at James. James was about to retaliate when the girl leaned forward.

"Oh, please don't!" she squeaked. "There are terrible things in the lake, you might get _infected_."

Sirius and James exchanged a glance, bewildered. "Oh," James spoke first, trying to collect his thoughts and keep the mirth out of his voice. "Of course. Thanks." Sirius didn't say a word, for fear of bursting out laughing.

Before the situation could deteriorate any further, the boats gracefully sailed around and under a cliff, bringing the students to a tiny sort of harbor.

"Everyone out!" the giant man shouted, quieting the excited chatter of the first year students. They followed him up a wide staircase to a giant set of doors, where he pounded on them with a huge fist.

Sirius and James exchanged a nervous glance. Sirius felt the nervousness rise again until he felt sick, and knew James was thinking about losing his new friend to Slytherin as well. They didn't have a chance to say anything, because an imposingly strict woman threw open the front doors and stared down at them.

"Follow me, please. We are ready for you," she said, then turned and marched into the castle. The students filed past the giant man and into the entrance hall, but the woman stopped there. She turned to face the students as they crowded around her.

"I am Professor McGonagall, and welcome to Hogwarts," she began. "I will lead you into the Great Hall for the opening feast, but before you sit down, you must be sorted. Hogwarts has four houses, and your house will be like your family while you are at school…"

While Professor McGonagall began to describe the four houses, Sirius turned to James and whispered, "Good luck this year. I hope you don't—"

"We'll still have a few classes together, right?" James broke in. "Doubles and such."

"True. But hanging around with a Slytherin won't make you very popular."

"I know. But don't worry, I won't make you my enemy or any of that rubbish," James said very quickly, looking Sirius straight in the eye through his thick glasses. Sirius nodded, but didn't get the chance to say anything else as Professor McGonagall gave a sharp cough. The boys glanced up to see her glaring at them. Sirius gave her a cheeky smile, but didn't dare to look back at James.

Professor McGonagall turned and, with a final, "Follow me," she led the first years into the Great Hall. The hall was huge, filled nearly to the brim with students. Four long tables ran the length of the Hall, and it seemed to take them an age to reach the other side. Sirius's heart was nearly in his mouth; he refused to turn and look at the Slytherin table. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bellatrix glaring at him.

Even though—or perhaps, because of—he tried so hard not to notice the Slytherin table, he kept seeing their sneers and smirks as they caught sight of him. _'Bella will have spread the word_,' he thought. By the time the first years had reached the platform on which the Sorting Hat sat, Sirius was nearly beside himself. He knew what was coming, but couldn't stop himself from wishing with all his heart and soul he could change it.

Sirius watched the Hat as it sang its welcoming song, reiterating McGonagall's words about the houses. But he couldn't listen. His attention was completely captured by the starry sky where the roof was hidden. He was getting desperate enough to wish on a shooting one, but swallowed his fear. He could take whatever they dished out. He didn't have to like his house, right?

It was more than that. Sirius was deathly afraid of what Slytherin might do to him. He already disliked most of the people he knew in that house and it terrified him to think he might become like them. He tried to stop fidgeting, tried to focus his thoughts, but suddenly—

"Black, Sirius!"

Sirius froze on the spot. Belatedly, he realized the Ceremony had begun without his consent, and two people had already been sorted. He felt a comforting nudge in the shoulder from James, and nodded. Pushing down his anxiety, he mounted the platform and sat down.

He pulled the hat on all the way over his eyes, crossed his fingers, and waited.


	3. Support

If I owned even a tiny smidgeon of the Harry Potter universe, I would be permanently vacationing in New Zealand. Since I am very not, I can only conclude that J.K. Rowling still owns it all.

I can't even begin to comprehend how long you guys were waiting for this. I'm about to go iron my fingers. My deepest apologies about the extreme shortness and lateness of this chapter.

Have turned this into a short story. Have concocted a different approach to Marauder writing that want to try. Have also mysteriously lost all pronouns which drives beta mad. Have gone in search of pronouns to pacify beta.

HUGE THANKS TO EVERYONE.

* * *

_A Black, eh? _ The voice echoed inside Sirius' head. _Well, then. Do you like the sound of Slytherin?_

"_Very funny," _Sirius thought dryly. _"Call me crazy, but I'm feeling a bit more liberal-minded tonight."_

_I see. Ravenclaw, then?_

"_I'll even take Hufflepuff, if you're feeling generous," _Sirius scowled.

_Oh, my. That sounded a little bitter, if you ask me. Well, I see that you're plenty intelligent, and you certainly know how to get what you want. You _do_ happen to sound like a Slytherin, from the start—_

"_Taking the lazy way will only get your threads pulled out later."_

_See what I mean? Going to get your own way in the end, aren't you? Oh, very well. I'll take a look around your head and see what I find. _

Sirius reached down and grasped the edge of the stool without uncrossing his fingers, gripping the wood so tightly he could almost feel his joints moving the wrong directions.

_There, there. Don't hurt yourself. You'll be done in a moment._ Sirius could hear the humor in the Hat's voice. He sent an incoherent but disgruntled thought at the Hat, only giving it further amusement. _Impatient, are we? If you want me to do an abbreviated session, you'll be a Slytherin for sure._

"_No, no. Take your time," _Sirius thought, trying to keep his eye from twitching.

_Thank you very much, _the Hat sent out and fell silent.

Sirius started tapping his toe against the stool leg for awhile. When bored with that, he tried counting the different configuration of nervous knots his stomach was twisting itself into over and over again. He thought briefly of James, and wondered if the boy was concerned for him or had convinced himself not to care by now. He tried to plan out the ways he could both humiliate the house of Slytherin and get expelled in one shot. He even began contemplating the honorability of the Hat's descent—or more likely, its being-sewed-togetherness. He even began a debate with himself on whether that was a logical question, all without comment from the Hat itself.

Sirius then began to wonder if the Hat had fallen asleep—_No, I haven't. But you're a hard nut to crack, and no pun intended. _Sirius thought he could hear a new quality to the Hat's voice, more reserved and subdued. He was just as certain the Hat was all-business now as he had been that it was playing before. But it also had a tone of gentleness. Something like hope began to rise in Sirius' chest.

_There's certainly more to you than meets the eye, Mr. Black. You're meant to go far in the world, and it won't be through Slytherin._

"_What do you mean?" _Sirius asked quickly. _"What were you looking at that I didn't see?"_

_You'll find out. Good luck, Mr. Black. My pleasure to have met you._

"_What?"_

_GRYFFINDOR!_

Sirius felt the floor drop out from beneath him and take all the oxygen in the room with it. He tore the Hat from his head while sending it a huge mental _"Thank you!"_, following a half-formed and mostly irrational thought of preventing it from changing its mind. He handed the Sorting Hat back to Professor McGonagall with more calm than he thought he possessed, giving a huge grin in response to her shocked look. Sirius headed down to the silent Gryffindor table, allowing nothing to disturb his suddenly overwhelming happiness. He sat down at the far end of the table, feeling as though he'd won a great victory. He could tell from the suspicious glances and whispered comments that it was only some of the first shots fired in the long war ahead, but this time it was a war he could fight. It would be hard and lonely, but he would work his way into the Gryffindor house and make it his home.

A low and rhythmic clap started from behind him; a solitary pair of hands began an awed and enthusiastic applause. Sirius spun in his seat and made eye contact with his sole supporter: James. Suddenly, Sirius felt the fight ahead wouldn't be so lonely after all.

James' applause was then joined by another pair of hands from the staff table as Professor Dumbledore joined in. Sirius spared him a glance and a grin, taking in the Headmaster's own wide smile. A few more first years joined the clapping, and then the rest of Gryffindor slowly gave their own approval. Sirius felt like dancing, but contained himself as the ceremony continued. By the time James was sorted and sitting beside him, Sirius felt like he could take on the world.


End file.
